I'm Not A Mess, I'm A Work Of Art
by amortentsarah
Summary: A group on the rise try to bring back the Deatheaters to finish what Voldemort never could, but they need information from the past generations of those who followed the Dark Lord. Scorpius Malfoy finds himself captured and tortured for information that he refuses to give. As time goes on, they take desperate measures, forcing Scorpius to face his worse fears in order to break him.
1. Chapter 1

"You can't do this! I'm not going to tell you anything!" Scorpius screamed, struggling against the harsh leather ties around his hands and ankles. He was strapped to a dark wooden bed frame, his body struggling against the white mattress. The skin was rubbed raw and bleeding from where the leather dug into it. Specks of blood flew out from his mouth as he spoke, his lip split from the earlier beatings he'd been given, but Scorpius thought nothing of it. Bruises and scars and blood weren't anything new to him. His ice blue eyes locked on the dark figure that stood at the end of the bed, watching as he gave a dark laugh, amused by the sight of the young Malfoy squirming.

"Oh trust me, Scorpius," The man said, his voice deadly and serious, though it was clear there was a hint of hilarity and amusement in it, "You'll tell me everything I need to know. You'll tell me exactly where your grandfather hid those books."

Scorpius' eyes narrowed into a glare at the man, whose face was half covered with the hood of his cloak, but he knew a dark beard and even darker eyes laid beneath. He could see the glint of his teeth through the shadows if he looked hard enough—the teeth that sparkled with laughter as he'd managed to land blow after blow with his fists on Scorpius' body. Scorpius wasn't sure how long he'd been here exactly, but he assumed at least a couple of days. The room he was kept in had no windows and no proper doors. The man entered the room through a secret passage hidden in the side of the stone wall. The man only entered for one of two reasons: to feed Scorpius, or to hurt and question him. Right now, the man had no food with him that Scorpius could see and he shifted uncomfortably against his bonds, even though he knew it was no use. He was trapped.

"You think you're so strong, don't you, Scorpius?" The man asked with a tilt of his head, his hands gripping the foot of the bed frame. "You really think you won't talk. You think you're strong enough to get through this. Or at least you think you're accepting of your own death as long as it means I don't get what I want? You've been spending too much time with that stupid halfblood Gryffindor of yours. Your filthy, werewolf-spawn husband really has changed you, hasn't he? You're a disgrace. No self respecting Slytherin would put someone else's life ahead of his own. Is that why you're being so stubborn? To protect him?"

"To protect everyone! Call me a disgrace, go ahead. I don't give a fuck! Kill me if you have to, I won't tell you where those books are. You're not getting your hands on them! I'd rather die."

"Oh if only I was that merciful." The man walked around the bed, conjured a bowl of soup, and set it on the bedside table. "I think you underestimate your will to live, Scorpius. That, and I plan to get that information somehow. You think I'll just allow you to die while that information is still in your head? No, I'll keep you alive if it's the last thing I do. And believe me, you're going to wish you were dead."

"I can take the hits, the cuts, the pain. I've done it before."

"But not all pain is physical, is it? No…I have a much better plan." The man's smile widened into a grin. "A much, _much_ better plan."

Scorpius didn't like that look, or the sound of how happy this man was as he spoke about his plan. He swallowed, his mind racing, trying to figure out what the plan was. Just like fighting the restraints, it was useless, Scorpius was sure that whatever he guessed it wouldn't be anywhere close to the reality of the situation. This man's magic was a lot more powerful than his was, and a lot darker. With a flick of his wand, the man released the ties around Scorpius' limbs.

"Eat," He ordered and walked back to the opening in the stone wall. "You'll need the sustenance for what you're about to go through." Before Scorpius could speak, the man disappeared with a laugh. The sound of the stone sliding back into the place was the last thing he heard before a heavy silence fell over the room again.

Sucking on his swollen lip, Scorpius ran a hand through his hair. It was dirty and matted with dried blood and he gave a tiny groan of disgust. He probably looked as shitty as he felt. Not that he had anyone to look good for here. He'd given up hope on Teddy coming to find him the night before when the man had told him that they were somewhere untraceable, somewhere no one would think to look. Scorpius had no idea where he was and even if Teddy was able to eventually figure it out, it was going to take a while. Scorpius knew he could be anywhere in the world, and there wasn't the slightest hint left behind of where he might have gone. So he stayed determined to not let this man have the books that he knew were hidden behind the portrait of his grandfather upstairs in the Manor.

They were dark books his grandfather had when he'd first started following Voldemort—books with the darkest spells and information about horcruxes. The man insisted he need them, and even though he never explicitly told Scorpius _why_ in so many words, the blond boy had a feeling it was part of a plan to succeed where Voldemort couldn't.

The thought made Scorpius' stomach churn and he turned away from the soup, rolling onto his side and curling into himself. He looked over the bruises on his arms and legs and stomach, checking out the damage. He knew it wasn't bad enough to die, not yet, and apparently not ever, since the man seemed determined to keep him alive. That was another reason that made Scorpius turn away from the food. Maybe he could just starve himself to death and keep the information safe that way. In the back of his mind, though, he had a feeling even that wouldn't work. The man would sooner force feed him, and Scorpius shuddered at the thought.

Not moments later, his stomach growled and he swore to himself, getting angry. The man was right, an idea Scorpius detested. His body's want to stay alive was still there and it encouraged him to eat with a few violent pangs in his stomach. Rolling over, he got up and reached for the bowl of soup. There was no spoon, so he had to raise the bowl to his lips and tilt it in order to get the warm broth down his throat. He sipped it slowly, his stomach giving a satisfied rumble as he did so.

Something was wrong.

Scorpius knew it as soon as his vision blurred as he managed to get halfway through his meal. The room swayed this way and that, the walls rippling around him and the bed vibrating, as though alive, underneath his legs.

"Shit." He thought he'd said, but the words came out in a very slurred drawl, as though he'd been drinking alcohol all day. He went to go set the soup down on the side table again, but the room seemed to lurch forward, as if it was a boat on the sea in a hurricane, and he misjudged the location of the table and dropped the bowl on the floor. It hit with a clatter of plastic and Scorpius saw the yellowish liquid spread over the hard stone floor. "Shit!" He repeated to himself, and tried to get up, but his limbs gave out. He fell back against the unmade mattress, limp and nearly lifeless. What was happening to him? Colors swirled around in front of him, like a kaleidoscope effect. They mixed and matched and screamed at him and he screamed back. The noise echoed and bounced off the walls, the colors hopping around to match the beat. Reds and purples and greens and silvers and golds all shone bright before him, intertwining with each other until they began to mix. The last thing Scorpius saw was the green melting into the black mess above him, before his eyes slid closed and his body lost consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

Scorpius woke with a groan, his eyelids twitching slowly before he parted them. Immediately, he shut them again, the one light above him blindingly bright. The former Slytherin rolled onto his side, the stone floor was rough against his skin. How'd he even get on the floor? Wait. Floor?

He shot up into a sitting position, moving more quickly than he could handle as his head spun and pounded as he did so. He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to lessen the pain. What had happened? He remembered the man coming into the room and giving him some shit about getting the information about the books in the end…and telling him he had a plan…then the soup… Oh fuck. The soup. He remembered. _The fucking bastard_, Scorpius thought to himself, _He drugged me_. Why, though, Scorpius couldn't quite figure out. The drugs didn't really seem to do anything significant except knock him out. It's not like he spilled the secrets while unconscious. Unless…No, he'd know if he did. Still, Scorpius' stomach churned uncomfortably.

_Maybe he drugged me because he needed to move me._ He thought as he looked around and realized he wasn't in the room he'd spent the last few days in. Then again, he didn't know how long he'd been out, so it was very likely he'd been here for days, too. Great. Just another place for Teddy to find. Raising a hand to shield his eyes from the light, he looked up again. Besides the one above him, there wasn't another source of light in the room; everything else was dark except for the circle of light he was being highlighted in.

"The fuck…?" He slowly stood, and began walking, hoping to find an exit somewhere off in the darkness. Five steps forward and he collided with something hard. He cursed and faltered, rubbing his forehead. He couldn't see anything in front of him blocking his way, but he _felt_ it when he reached his hand out to it. _Glass, probably_, He thought as he slid his hand down the cold surface. It reached to the floor and above his head—way above where he could reach. He traced the perimeter and found it was a box that was keeping him in the light. A glass box.

Cursing several times, he banged his fists against the glass, trying to break it down. What was he doing here? Why did the man move him? What was this "new plan" he'd been boasting of the last time they'd been in the same room?

"Hello?!" He called out, but it didn't seem like his voice reached very far. He leaned into his enclosure, trying to see anything in the rest of the room, trying to get his eyes to see through the darkness, but it didn't work. His breath fogged up the glass and he wiped away the moisture, before stepping back. Fuck. What now? He supposed the man would have to eventually come back to feed him. After all, he seemed so determined to let him live, but Scorpius wasn't sure he'd be eating anything the man gave him anymore. Not after what happened to him earlier. He wasn't too keen to accept anything he was going to be offered in the future.

A shiver ran up Scorpius' spine and he turned to look to the right. Something was watching him. He could feel it. Holding out a hand in front of himself, he took careful steps to find the wall so he wouldn't crash into it again. There didn't seem to be anything there, but an uneasy feeling churned in his stomach. He blinked and he swore he saw the movement again.

"Who's there?" He asked, trying to keep his tone brave, rather than terrified. "Show me who you are." He regretted the words almost as soon as he'd said them. The movement flickered in the shadows again and the creature slowly stepped into the light.

First came two long, slender legs, followed by two more. Then came the head, all eight eyes, centered on the face, looking menacing and bloodthirsty. Four more legs followed as it came fully into the light, shifting its weight along his complete set of eight. Its body was _huge_ and black and covered with dark, thick, fur. Its eyes blazed an even darker black, but shone in the reflection of the ceiling light. Taking a few steps closer to Scorpius, it snapped its pincers threateningly.

Horrified, Scorpius' heart raced as he stared at the spider, and he scrambled back as far as he could, his back hitting the back panel of glass. His shaking knees gave out and he slid along the invisible panel to the ground, his eyes transfixed on the creature. He so desperately wanted to look away, but he couldn't tear his eyes off it, no matter how hard he tried. To say he was frightened was an unbelievable understatement. He was _terrified_. He always had been awfully arachnophobic, screaming for Teddy if even the tiniest one made its way into the shower. Once they'd found a pretty huge one making a web on the back porch, and even after Teddy had killed it and cleared all remnants of the web, Scorpius couldn't go out there to smoke a cigarette for weeks. Teddy had had to hold his hand the entire time and assure him that there wasn't anything there multiple times before he felt comfortable enough to go out there by himself again.

This one trumped all the others he'd experienced in life. It was almost as tall as he was, and nearly three times as wide. It snapped at him again and came forward to the glass. Scorpius hid his face in his hands, trying to swallow the fear. It couldn't get to him in here, he was sure. _I'm safe in here,_ He told himself over and over again, trying to convince himself that it was true. _I'm safe, I'm safe, I'm safe_. This must have been what the man had talked to him about. "Not all pain in physical, is it?" he'd said. This was meant to fuck with him mentally. The spider wouldn't be able to get to him. It was just meant to loosen his tongue.

A silence fell and Scorpius risked a glance up at the wall and screamed. The spider was there, staring him right in the face through the glass. He could see every hair covering its body, swaying this way and that with each movement of the creature. It screamed back at him, eyes wide and mouth open, as if it would love nothing more than to rip Scorpius to pieces. The shriek echoed in his ears and he covered them with his hands, closing his eyes again.

"No!" He yelled and felt a hard _thump!_ from behind him on the glass. Turning, he saw another, just as enormous and looking just as hungry as the other one. Scorpius bolted away, trying to sit in the center of the box. He glanced between the two and whimpered. They both seemed to be looking around, trying to figure out a way to him, wondering why when they stepped forward, they collided with an invisible force field. They both threw themselves at the glass again and the vibrations made Scorpius' flinch and worry whether the glass would hold up. His screams mixed in with their shrieks of frustration and hunger and Scorpius couldn't do anything but sit and cry and pray that they wouldn't get to him. There was no way of escaping, if he left the glass cell, they'd come after him and he didn't have his wand. Apparation crossed his mind, but he doubted it'd work. The man wasn't dumb enough to let Scorpius apparate away. There wasn't a doubt that he'd definitely put several spells up to keep Scorpius just where he was.

There was a humming noise of scrambling feet that made Scorpius look around, trying to ignore the banging against the glass. Shaking violently, he threw his head every which way he could, trying to find out the source of the noise, but he had a dreadful, sickening feeling he already knew what it was.

And he was right. Hundreds, thousands, of spiders came forward into the light, all of them different shapes and sizes. Some no bigger than his fingertips, and others ranging from the size of his palm all the way up to as big as the ones trying to run down the glass. Their screeches hurt to hear and Scorpius was sure he'd lose his hearing and his mind. The sounds mixed with their scattered, unpredictable movements made him panic. They descended on him all at once, rushing toward him and climbing _up_ the walls of his cage. They covered every single part of it, until Scorpius could no longer see the light above him and he was just covered in blackness. Every now and then, he'd be able to see a flash of light as one of them moved out of the way of the rays shining down and he realized the box was taller than he'd thought. It was maybe fifteen feet high.

"Please, please, please, don't break, don't break, don't break." He whispered, trying to keep his eyes down on the floor. His knees were pulled up to his chest, chin tucked between his knees. Goosebumps covered his skin and he rocked himself back forth, trying to focus on anything besides the situation at hand. Tears ran down his face, sobs releasing from him softly. He couldn't imagine a more awful place to be. "Please, please, please…"

_Craaaack_. Scorpius' eyes shot upward, watching the blurring movement of legs and black fur on the top of the glass. _Craaaacck_. He shook his head from side to side, mouth forming the word, "no" soundlessly several times in a row. He could see the long white cracks in the top of the glass. The weight of them all was getting to be too much, and it was breaking. Scorpius stood, trying to better examine it; it didn't look too deep… Another jagged line scarred the perfectly smooth and clear ceiling, this one deeper than the others. The creatures seemed to be catching on to what was happening, for they paid special attention to the cracks, moving their weight over them to deepen them before finally…

The glass _shattered_. The walls stayed intact, but the ceiling completely fell through. Scorpius covered his face with his arms as the pieces of glass fell on top of him, followed by the hundreds and hundreds of spiders. He screamed, half from falling on a glass shard as he hit the floor, the razor edge slicing through his side, blood beginning to pool everywhere, and half from the creatures covering him. He squirmed and thrashed around, trying to get away, but they were too many. They held him down and walked over him, each of them wanting a piece of him. And they took it. A million tiny teeth, some bigger than others, sunk into his skin, ripping flesh and meat from his body. Pain seared through his body and screams mixed with sobs. He could taste his own blood on his lips and could feel it, warm and thick, oozing over his body. Every bite burned and as he looked down, he screamed again. Every bite they took was literally _on fire_, the flames licking over his skin and spreading. The spiders disappeared in pops of flame and Scorpius was surrounded by fire, the air thick and boiling. He sat up, trying to pat out the flames that he could feel where burning through the multiple layers of his skin, but they wouldn't go out no matter how hard he hit them. The pain was unbearable and his heart-wrenching screams of torture couldn't articulate how much the fire _hurt._ It burned white hot and there was nowhere to go, his body was useless. An awful smell of burning hair and cotton filled the air as his clothes melted away, parts of it melting into his skin and causing further damage. He could feel his hair fall away and his tears dry up as soon as they left his eyes. So this was how it was going to go. He was going to die alone, burning, without even seeing his husband one last time. Scorpius wondered if Teddy would ever even find him after this, he imagined his face and his screams and how Teddy'd do absolutely anything in his power to make sure the man was killed. Scorpius cried out for his husband, wanting the name _Teddy Lupin_ to be the last thing on his mind as he went…


	3. Chapter 3

Scorpius sat against the metal bars, shivering over a bowl of soup in his left hand and a small loaf of bread in his right. The room was cold and the icy steel bars against his back didn't help him warm up any. When and how the cage changed from glass to a metal jail cell, he didn't know. He simply woke up and it was changed. He couldn't tell what was real anymore. He'd so clearly died before, that he wasn't sure if this was hell now or if before was a dream and this was his reality now. There were no burns on his skin, no scars from the bites, no sign that any piece of glass had sliced through his skin. Scorpius didn't know the complete effects of the drug he'd been given, or if it was still in his system. He'd tried not to eat, tried to refuse the food that appeared at his feet every morning. At least he assumed it was morning, but he couldn't ever be sure because there were no windows down here; only the light above him that never seemed to go out. The first few times he'd refused to even acknowledge the food was there, but every time he tried to throw it away from him, it would appear back in his hands, only to disappear once he'd eaten every last bite of what he was given. So, naturally, he had to break down and eat. The man didn't even bother showing up anymore. Scorpius was truly alone. Alone to deal with his memories of the spiders and the fire, memories that caused dreams he'd wake up screaming from, calling out to Teddy desperately. But Teddy never came. Scorpius would wake up shivering and alone, left to console himself and try to shake the nightmares away by himself.

He took a last bite of the bread, chewing slowly, trying to keep himself occupied with actions so he could avoid his thoughts for just a few seconds longer. He set the empty soup bowl down and watched it vanish with a soft _pop!_ that echoed throughout the room. Scorpius leaned back again only after he checked over his shoulder to make sure no creatures were lurking in the shadows. All torture and psychological damage aside, Scorpius was thoroughly bored, though he supposed that was better than being eaten alive. So much time passed in this room that he couldn't even calculate, and it could only be passed by sleeping for so long. Sometimes he'd count the seconds, trying to see how long he could go and figure out what outside looked like—if it was light or dark, if it was summer or spring, if the sun was out or if it was raining. He supposed he probably wouldn't see any of those things ever again. Not without giving up the information in his head. _They'll probably kill me even if I do tell them_, he thought as he ran a hand through his hair. There were moments when he was able to convince himself that maybe, just maybe, if he gave up the location, he'd be set free. Free to go home and collapse into his husband's arms and get taken care of. Every time the temptation crossed his mind, he burned it out quickly and a feeling of disgust replaced it. He couldn't give up the location of the books. No way. He knew better. He was taught better. It would mean all out war again, and the world couldn't handle that. Plus, Teddy, being Head Auror at the Ministry, would end up right in the middle of it, and he couldn't let that happen. If Scorpius couldn't keep himself safe, at least he'd die protecting his husband, and that was enough to keep his mouth shut.

He'd been almost asleep on the floor when footsteps made him open his eyes. He stayed where he was, watching carefully, assuming it was going to be the man this time, finally stopping by to check on him, but he was very, very wrong.

"Mother? Father?" He gasped as the two pale, blonde figures moved toward.

"Hello, Scorpius," His mother said, her left hand grasping the metal bar of his cage. Scorpius scrambled up and stood in front of them.

"How did you guys get in here? Please tell me he didn't get to you."

"No, we're fine, Scorpius. More than fine, actually. We're perfect." Draco smiled at Scorpius, but the expression seemed a little more pleased than acceptable at the sight of seeing his son caged.

"Please get me out of here." He reached out to touch his mother's hand, but she pulled back, as if disturbed by the thought of her son touching her. It was odd behavior for his mother, and it hurt. This looked like the same woman who would let him fall asleep on her lap while she read to him, the one who would tickle him until he screamed with laughter and tears leaked from his eyes, his mother who would make him cookies and buy him muggle music books and who loved spending time with her son. But this woman wasn't the one who was reflected in the woman before him. Something was very wrong.

"Now why would we do that?" Astoria asked, tilting her head to the side, her blonde hair falling behind one of her shoulders as she did so.

"What do you mean? I—"

"Now that you're here, we can finally do what we want." Draco explained, sliding his hands into his trouser pockets. He was so put together, like always. His suit was dark and his tie in a perfect knot and shining a dark emerald green.

"Mother, Father, please! You can't leave me in here!" He begged them, holding the bars and his eye blue eyes flicking between the two of them.

"We can. Now that you're here, we don't have to pretend anymore. We don't have to pretend to be happily married." Astoria said, an evil smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth.

"Wh…what?" Scorpius asked, horrified, eyes widening awfully.

"Merlin, you are so easily fooled, Scorpius Malfoy. I thought I taught you better, but apparently not." Draco said to him, eyes narrowing. "You can't possibly think that we've wanted to be together. We never did. We were about to split up when Astoria found out she was pregnant with you. We _had_ to get married after that. You weren't expected—_weren't_ _wanted_. All that shit that I had to go through with my father, you think you were worth it?"

"We already told you once before you were an accident, and I meant that. But I wouldn't do it again, like I told you. I lied." Astoria told him coldly, "No way. I never wanted you. Neither of us did. And _fucking_ Lucius Malfoy just continued to get in the way. Forcing us to do this and that, I couldn't fucking _wait_ to get rid of him!"

"No!" Scorpius whispered, tears in his eyes as he listened to the words. His world flipped upside down and he held tightly onto the metal, as it was the only thing keeping him on his feet. He was sure if he let go, he'd only slip to the floor and probably not be able to get back up again. "Mother…you're not saying you…you…"

"Got him killed? Yes. I did. That murder was unsolvable because _I'm_ the one who covered it all up. He made my life hell and I knew he was your favorite. God, I couldn't stand to see you so happy when I was so miserable. I had to do something. He was the one who forced the marriage onto us even though he completely hated me. He's the one who locked me into this life with a husband I didn't even love and a _gay_ son I didn't even want!" She was yelling at him now, her voice spitting venom and Scorpius flinched at every word. Lucius Malfoy had been Scorpius' world while he was growing up. Lucius had spent all his time with him, showing him around the library and around the gardens and spoiling him rotten. He'd always looked up to his grandfather, finding him the complete opposite of the man everyone thought he was. He wasn't cold and cruel, he was kind and loving and honest with Scorpius. The year he'd been murdered and yanked away from Scorpius had been a bad one. Scorpius remembered he wouldn't get out of bed for at least three weeks, refusing to eat or see anyone. The only one who had managed to get him out of bed in the end had been Lysander. Ly had been the only person Scorpius would ever get out of bed for during that time and Ly would bring him treats and force him to eat so he wouldn't starve to death while he sulked around, depressed. The idea that his mother was responsible sickened him. He always knew that his grandfather and his mother never got along, but he wouldn't have expected her to take Lucius away from him when she _knew _how much Scorpius adored him.

"You're lying." Scorpius stated, not allowing himself to believe anything yet. "You're lying to me. The man's making you say this to me to break me! You're lying!"

"No, I'm done lying. We both are. We lied for twenty years and we're done. We don't love you, Scorpius. Never did. Never wanted you. You were a burden we carried around."

"Lies! Lies! I don't believe you!"

He looked at his father, desperate for him to contradict anything and everything that was being said to him, but his father only gave him a hard look and Scorpius' heart broke all over again. Everything stable in his life was falling apart, crumbling down on top of him and he had no way to escape. He fought to breathe, fought to keep his heart pounding in his chest, fought to stay standing and face this, whatever it meant for his future.

"Now we can get a divorce and do whatever we want. Live our lives the way we wanted to before you came along. You're doing fine here, aren't you? You're being fed and you always did like playing in the dungeons with Teddy, right? Though he isn't here." A dark smirk formed on Draco's face as he looked at his son, "We don't have to provide for you anymore. We don't have a son."

"But I'm your son! You can't just leave me in here! All those years of taking care of me! The family vacations and dinners and music lessons and everything! It was all a lie?! You can't just fake love for twenty years!" He screamed back at them, his voice breaking as he did so.

"You're an adult now. You don't need us. And we certainly don't need you. Well, only for one thing. A little piece of information I know you have, Scorpius." Draco stated, and rolled up his left sleeve where his dark mark lay. Throughout Scorpius' childhood, it was always a very faint grey, barely visible against his father's pale skin. Now, it was completely dark and filled in, swirling against the skin as though alive.

"No…Father…no! You aren't…you can't be! This isn't you! You never were! Just like Grandfather never was! You both weren't these people!"

Draco gave a harsh laugh, "It is who I am. You don't know anything about me. You don't deserve to know. You were a mistake that I couldn't rectify. But now I am, and I'm telling you now, Scorpius. You better give up the information, it's the only way to make the world right again."

"It would mean all out war! I'm never sharing the information!"

"You will in time. I assure you, even if it takes the death of your husband to convince you to give it up."

"You wouldn't! You can't! Don't you _dare touch him!_ Stay away from my husband!" Scorpius could feel tears sliding down his cheeks, his whole body shaking with fear. He hated himself for crying in front of them like this, showing his terror at the thought of his own father going after his husband—like his own mother had gone after his grandfather.

"We'll see how good of an auror he really is, won't we?"

"Don't do this! Don't do it! Leave him alone! Hate me, but _let him live!_" Scorpius screamed. His parents just laughed.

"We'll see, Scorpius," Astoria said, reaching out to him and giving his arm a pat. "Something tells me you should get a taste of your own medicine. You ruined our lives, so it's only natural we return the favor. Let's see how you like getting everything you want taken from you, like we did." Her blue eyes sparkled at Scorpius, as though the idea of making his life hell excited her. She stepped back from the cage and gave a little wave. "I hope you like it in here, something tells me if you're as stubborn as your father, you'll be in this cage for a very long time." She stalked off back the way she came, not turning around as Scorpius called after her. Draco laughed again.

"You're an idiot. I'll tell your husband you say hello." The traditional Malfoy smirk returned on his face and he disappeared after his wife, leaving Scorpius behind.

Scorpius stood in shock as he watched his parents leave. His resolve crumbled and he fell to the floor, letting his world follow with it. Everything was a lie. Everything. How could this have happened? How did they even get here? Why were they saying all this now?! Why didn't they just get rid of him when they first found out?! Why lie for two decades and break his heart?

"This can't be happening. This can't be happening." He was locked away, without the ability to warn Teddy about anything. He was going to rot away in here, just like his parents wanted him to. No one was going to help him now. No one was going to help him ever.


	4. Chapter 4

"Scorpius," The familiar voice made Scorpius stir slightly, beginning to pull him out of his dream-less sleep. "Scorpius, wake up." He stirred again, a low groan erupting from him as he shifted on the floor. The stone was starting to get to him and every time he woke up, he felt sorer than the time before. His muscles ached and knots formed throughout his back. He longed for a massage nearly more than he longed for his freedom.

"Scorpius! Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" The voice was frustrated and angry now and it made Scorpius wake up immediately. He had to be hearing things. There was no way this voice was the one he thought it was. "Scorpius, I'm not going to tell you again. Get up and listen to me." No matter how many excuses and reasons Scorpius gave himself to believe that he made the voice up, the commanding tone made him turn around and sit up.

Right in front of him was Lucius Malfoy. He blinked a few times before shaking his head. This wasn't real. He'd lost his Grandfather when he was thirteen. There was no way he was kneeling in front of him right now.

"You're not here." Scorpius said, "There's no way you're here."

Lucius Malfoy laughed, "And why is there no way I'm here, Scorpius?"

"You're…dead." It wasn't easy to say, even after such a long time, and Scorpius choked out the words, "I lost you seven years ago. My mother just came in and told me she ordered someone to murder you—that she was responsible for it! You're gone! You can't be here! It isn't possible."

"You're _mother_ always did hate me, why am I not surprised that this was her fault?" Lucius reached up to rub his palm against his chest, and when Scorpius looked closer, he could see a long scar running diagonally across his chest. He blinked and when he focused in on it again, he could see the blood stains on his white button down. "I suppose maybe I should be impressed, though. I didn't think she had it in her. She was always weak; too weak for my son, too weak to be part of this family."

"Stop…Grandfather, please…you know I don't like when you talk about her like that."

"Why are you on her side? I thought you were always on mine? She _killed_ me, Scorpius. She _murdered_ me when she knew you adored me. And you're defending her?" He gave a stereotypical Malfoy sneer to his grandson and Scorpius dropped his gaze to the floor. His mother did just stop by to admit her actions to him, even tell him that she never wanted him, but his memories of the loving mother he'd always known were still in his mind. He still felt a certainly loyalty to her as he had all his life. He'd adored his grandfather and loved his mother, but he never liked discussing the other with each of them, since there was so much bad tension. Normally his mother and grandfather wouldn't bring up the topic, because they knew it would upset him, but this didn't seem to be the case right now.

"I'm not…I just…"

"I'm your favorite right, Scorpius?" Lucius' grey eyes bored into Scorpius', the manipulation working to turn his grandson back on his side. Scorpius didn't notice it though, too blinded by his idolization of the man before him.

"Of course you are, Grandfather."

"And you'd do anything for me, right?"

"Yes." Scorpius sat up on his knees and moved closer to Lucius so he could see his face better, trying to read his expression and understand what was going on. "But what can I do? You're not really here,"

"You still say that, but here I am." Lucius told him softly, the corners of his mouth quirking up.

"You're dead! It's the drug. He had to have drugged me again!" Scorpius said, louder than he meant to, his shock getting the best of him. His grandfather was quiet for a few moments before sighing and speaking again.

"It's not the drug, Scorpius. You're very sober right now. Yes, I am dead. But that doesn't mean I'm not here. That doesn't mean there isn't something you can do for me. You see, Scorpius, if you do this one thing for me, I can rest easy for the rest of…whatever I'm in. I can move on finally, but _only_ if you do this for me."

"Name it." Scorpius said without hesitation, "Name it and I'll do it." He swallowed the lump in his throat, watching his grandfather. He wanted to reach out and touch the man before him, but he knew that it wouldn't be appropriate. The desire didn't leave though; Scorpius just wanted proof that his grandfather was real. It was a far-fetched idea, after all, Lucius had just told him that he was dead, but Scorpius needed something to hold on to.

"I want you to leave Teddy."

"No." Scorpius replied, surprised at the request.

"Scorpius. You _need_ to. You need to get over this phase, this life you're living. You married a Gryffindor, for Merlin's sake! He isn't a pureblood and you two can't have children. You're _finishing the family line_, Scorpius! How can you sit there and tell me you won't do it? How can you live your life every day and just be okay with the fact that you're the end of the line?"

"Because I love him! I'm sorry the line will end, but I am not sorry for who I am and who I love! I'm not just going to leave him! After everything we've been through, I'm not putting him through that."

"You're so willing to be with him, to live your disgusting lifestyle and just leave me here to rot in this state?!" His grandfather was yelling at him now, something that had never, ever happened in Scorpius' life. His grandfather was always gentle with him, always so determined to make him laugh and smile, and teach him about the world. He was always so supportive and when Scorpius did get in trouble, it was his father that did the yelling, never his grandfather. He'd seen and heard his grandfather yell at others, but Lucius never turned harsh with Scorpius. It wasn't in his nature; it wasn't who he was with him. Scorpius didn't respond to Lucius' words. They hurt, but he was too shocked and too…_something else_ he couldn't quite place.

"You like the way you live, do you, Scorpius? Living with filth? Fucking filth? Playing bloody house with a _half-blood_, who's a werewolf, no less? Raising the daughter he had with what's her name—the awful whore?"

"Victoire," Scorpius provided, unable to say anything more. He was shaking, but it wasn't with fear. It was with _anger_. He'd never been angry with his grandfather before. It was a new feeling and it threw him off as he tried to adjust to the new emotion.

"Right. _Victoire._ From a family of blood traitors. How can you even look at yourself, Scorpius? How do you even get up in the morning and be proud of your life and what you've done? You're a disgrace. This isn't how I raised you. This isn't who I wanted you to be."

"Well this is who I am, Grandfather! I'm sorry I can't be the guy who grows up and marries a lovely pureblood girl and have children and live in the Manor and continue the family line for generations! I don't want that life! Maybe when I was ten, when it was drilled into my mind, but I figured out pretty damn quickly that it wasn't what I wanted! I have _everything_ I could have _ever_ wanted. My husband is the best thing that's ever happened to me and I will _not_ give that up just because you want me to!"

"You won't help me move on? To pass through to wherever I'm supposed to be? _You're_ the one keeping me here, you moronic, undeserving, dolt! I'm _stuck_ here having to watch you and your husband lead your revolting lives!" Lucius scolded him, speaking with such force that flecks of spit left his lips as he formed each word. He looked like he'd love nothing more than to come into the cage and smack Scorpius with the back of his hand. His eyes glowed with a rage Scorpius had never seen in him before and he looked close to a breaking point. "It's simple, Scorpius. Leave him. Leave it all behind before it destroys you. Marry a _woman_. Give her a child! That's all I'm asking, bloody hell!"

"I'm not going to pretend to be someone I'm not!" Scorpius screamed back, his adrenaline pumping. He'd never gone against his grandfather before and it was breaking his heart to do so, even though he knew he was making the correct decision. His whole life he'd only ever wanted his grandfather's approval of everything he did, and right now he was figuring out that everything Scorpius was—everything that made Scorpius, _Scorpius_—disgusted him. All the approval was washing down the drain and Scorpius could feel it slip away from him. "He may not be a pureblood, he may be a Gryffindor, he may turn into a beast every full moon, but he has done absolutely _everything_ to make me happy! He's worked his ass off every day and dealt with all of my bullshit and all of the problems along the way with me because he _loves me more than anything_. You're insane if you think I'm going to give that up! You're _dead_. You're gone and I'm alive! I'm going to live how I want! And if that means not wanting children and signing my name as Scorpius Malfoy-Lupin, and being in love with a _man_ every day of my life, then so be it! He's perfect and my whole life since I've met him has been perfect! So screw your bloody requests! I'm not having any of it!"

Lucius stared at his grandson for a long few moments, his angular cheeks turning purple with anger. His jaw was set and his teeth ground together as he took in all of Scorpius' words. When he spoke, each word came out dripping with poison, each an arrow to Scorpius' chest.

"_You disgust me,_" He said, low and deadly, "I hope they kill you. You're a disgrace. You're not worthy of the Malfoy name. I should have killed your mother when she was pregnant with you to save the trouble. You are not my grandson."

Against his will, Scorpius let out a whimper at the words, the knife cutting deep and twisting in his heart. His grandfather got up then, standing on his feet slowly and giving the blond boy below him a look of deepest loathing and disappointment.

"Grandfather…" Scorpius said, looking at him, his eyes pleading at him to understand. Lucius simply waved him off.

"Rot in Hell, Scorpius. I hope it gives you lots of time to think over what you've done." He turned on the spot, long, straight, platinum locks swaying with the movement. Lucius left without another word, his footsteps echoing in the darkness. Scorpius whimpered, his teeth sinking into his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. He licked it away, all of his muscles shaking as the adrenaline and hurt pumped through his bloodstream. His grandfather was always the one he looked up to, the one he was proud of, the one he was sure would accept him no matter what. But he'd been wrong. So, so wrong. His grandfather only loved him if he lived up to Malfoy family expectations. Scorpius had no idea how Lucius had come to him, no idea if it was a dream, or if he was still being drugged, or if Lucius truly was having trouble crossing over, but the pain felt real enough. It cut fresh wounds into his already bruised and scratched-up body.

He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the cool metal of the bars, trying to push away the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks. He'd spent too much time crying recently and he was determined to stop now. He exhaled slowly, regaining his composure, but even if the tears went away, the ache didn't. The man had been right, not all pain was physical, and all of this hurt a lot more than any punch or cruciatus curse ever could.


End file.
